Public Education+Organizing

Tom Tresser was in Aurora on November 4, 2023 doing his 225th public meeting on civic finances. The hosts were Working Families Aurora and Alderman John Laesch. Get the details. Sign online petition...

The CivicLab’s TIF Illumination Project continues to unearth how public dollars and resources are being utilized to enrich the pockets of a cabal of politicians and developers who seemingly have the sole interest...

Want to know how much public money Chicago’s TIFs removed in 2022? The only complete analysis is right here. Record high totals across the board! Purchase the data UNDER the report. Tweet

Join us in Pilsen on April 27, 2023 when we do “TIF 101” highlighting the TIFs of Pilsen. Our host will be El Pueblo Manda (The People Rule), There will be Spanish translation...

Thanks to a grant from the amazing MuckRock Foundation, the TIF Illumination Project has been able to review ALL the TIFs of Illinois for 2020! Get the details and the data! Tweet

Tom Tresser was interviewd on “Outside the Loop” Radio on December 24, 2022. He breaks down Chicago’s out-of-control TIF program for 2021. He offers an ALTERNATIVE to using TIFs for economic development. Tweet

The CivicLab is a Black-led 501 c 3 nonprofit “do tank” for civic engagement and social justice. Please consider supporting our work: Tweet

No one can give you this data. The City does NOT want you to have it. Only the CivicLab can tell you everything about Chicago’s out of control Tax Increment Financing Program. Click...

On Wednesday, September 23, 2021 the CivicLab presented at our 183rd public meeting. We Illuminated the TIFs of Evanston. 79 people registered and 46 attended – including two sitting Evanston city council members,...

Our 2019 TIF Illumination of all of Chicago’s TIFs for 2019 is now available! Thanks to the intrepid team at the City Bureau for assembling the raw data. Click here to request your...